Art to Enchant
by Star of the Sea
Summary: *CHAPTER 4 ADDED* Joint fanfic (odd chapters-Alec6427 even-me). HP/CC. We don't even know the plot yet. Please R/R!!!
1. Owl After Owl

Note: This is a collaborative fanfiction. The odd chapters are written by Alec6427, and the even ones are written by me (I also did any necessary editing to all chapters). This is an H/C fanfic. We each have our own H/C fanfics as well (you should read them ^_~). There obviously can't be a decent title since neither of us really know what it's going to be about. This is a first attempt at a partner fic between the two of us, so please R/R!  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own Harry Potter or anything. J.K. does. We just own the messed up plots to each chapter. :o)  
  
  
Chapter One: Owl after Owl  
  
The summer had barely even begun when the letters started pouring in. Everyone wanted to know what had happened to Cedric, how he had died, but Harry knew there was only one person that he would actually tell. She was the only person who didn't know but really deserved to. He had been her boyfriend and for all Harry knew she still would have been if he hadn't insisted that they take the Tri-Wizard cup together, but she was about the only person who hadn't mailed him about it.   
  
Eventually Harry got so bored that he started sorting the letters by house and found a pattern. Most of the Gryffindor letters had the gist of:  
  
  
  
Harry,  
  
What happened after you and that other guy went into the   
maze? Come on tell us. We're your house mates.  
  
(Gryffindor Students Name here)  
  
  
  
Most of the Hufflepuff letters were more like:  
  
  
  
Potter,  
  
What did you do to Cedric in that maze? Tell us or we'll go and   
find out ourselves. You will pay for what you've done!  
  
(Hufflepuff student name here)  
  
  
  
Most of the Ravenclaw letters basically said:  
  
  
  
To Harry Potter,  
  
I would like to know what sort of events transpired once you   
and the other Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory, entered the   
maze of the third task of the Tri-Wizard tournament. I eagerly   
await a reply.  
  
Sincerely,  
(Ravenclaw student name here)  
  
  
  
And worst of all were the Slytherins:  
  
  
  
Potter,  
  
Congratulations on becoming a murderer. We always knew you   
had it in you. We would just like to hear a few of the gory details   
so we can awe at your imaginative murdering technique.  
  
(Slytherin name here)  
  
  
  
Harry was almost glad he hadn't gotten a letter from Cho. He didn't really want to find out which category she fit into; he probably couldn't take it whichever one she was.   
  
Harry got his usual parcels on his birthday: Ron saying hello and inviting him to the Burrow and giving him Quidditch supplies, Hermione relaying the highlights of her vacation and telling him to study and of course giving him a large book, Hagrid wishing him a happy birthday from where ever Madame Maxime and he had gone on errands from Dumbledore and sending him rock cakes (which he promptly threw out the window causing a series of noises that didn't sound like they were good for traffic), and the letter from Hogwarts telling him what his new books would need to be.  
  
Harry read through them all and then hid everything under the floorboards and started to go to bed. Just as he was closing the window for the night an owl flew in. It was pitch black and had red eyes, it landed on top of Hedwigs cage and raised its leg in the air waiting for him to take the parcel. Harry hurried over and untied the package, the owl surprisingly nipped him affectionately and then joined Hedwig. Harry read the letter in the package first.  
  
Dear Harry,  
I think I know what you must be thinking and what people must be   
saying to you, but what happened to Cedric was not your fault.   
Just having met you a couple times I know that much. Don't think   
that it's your fault for a minute. Oh, and don't feel sorry for me, I   
was just sad because I never told him how much I wish we were   
just friends still. Hope to see you in Diagon Alley, I'll be there on the   
twenty-first.  
  
Love,  
Cho 


	2. The Crystal Ball

Chapter Two: The Crystal Ball  
  
Harry read the letter over and over. The parchment smelled like peppermint. It was a few minutes before he remembered that the letter came with a package. He took out a small, plain box. Inside was a lightweight crystal ball about half the size of his fist. At first he thought it was a remembrall, but it was completely solid throughout, except for the bubbles inside the stone. He searched for an additional note that might explain what it was, but nothing else was in the package. After two years of divination, he did what made the most sense and gazed into the ball. Nothing happened.  
  
It was late, and Harry was extremely tired. He decided to look up miniature crystal balls in his school books later. After reading and smelling the letter one last time, he placed it on his bedside table and balanced the ball on top of it.  
  
The divination textbook had no information on small crystals, only regular ones. Harry assumed it wasn't a divination tool then. 'Maybe Ron will know what it is,' thought Harry. He didn't have long to wait. He got an additional letter from Ron saying that Dumbledore gave the Weasleys the okay to have Harry over two weeks before school started. Uncle Vernon had no choice in the matter, and from past experience he decided not to interfere. Mr. Weasley and Ron came to get Harry by floo powder. The twins did not accompany them; after what happened last year, Mr. Weasley was afraid to let them near another muggle.  
  
"I have no idea what it is," said Ron, looking carefully at it. "Looks like an ordinary ball. Maybe she just thought it looked nice."  
  
They were in Ron's room after breakfast one day. The house had been extremely quiet. Harry suspected that Fred and George were secretly working on more edible jokes. Percy and Mr. Weasley were constantly at work. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny kept themselves occupied trying not to torment Harry with worry.  
  
"I don't know why she would send me something that just looked nice," said Harry. "She didn't know it was my birthday."  
  
"Of course she did. Everyone knows about you. You think they don't know when your birthday is?"  
  
'Good grief,' thought Harry. "I want to ask her about it," he said, taking the ball back, "but I don't want to insult her or anything."  
  
"Well, if it does something, which I highly doubt, Hermione can figure it out. She's back from Bulgaria. We'll be meeting her at Diagon Alley on the twenty-fourth."  
  
Harry looked up with a start. "Oh. Do you mind going on the twenty-first? Cho will be there that day."  
  
Ron looked at the hopeful look on Harry's face. "I guess so. I'll send Pig with a note to Hermione."  
  
Harry smiled and looked down at the crystal propped up on his fingers. 


	3. Good ol' Diagon Alley

Chapter Three: Good ol' Diagon Alley  
  
  
Disclaimer: If the Potter world belonged to us, the fifth book would be out and Cho would be the willing love slave of me, Alec6427, but it's not. A shame really.  
  
  
The twenty-first rolled around eventually. On that day Harry and Ron were the only people in the Burrow who were getting their things that day. They set off alone through the fireplace to buy their supplies, meet with Hermione, and maybe run into Cho. They came in through the Leaky Cauldron where Tom was entertaining a rather large party of wizards, who were congregating around the bar, so he didn't notice Harry and Ron floo in and then leave through the alley entrance.  
  
They went to Flourish and Blotts first and picked up their school books: Standard Book of Spells Grade Five, Advanced Transfiguration, How To Raise Animals Without Dropping Dead, What Will Come Will Come, History of Hogwarts: Updated Edition, and Talents You Never Knew You Had and How to Use Them Now That You've Wised Up. Then they went to Madame Malkins where they both got new robes--Ron using some money the Twins had given him. They restocked their potions ingredients and then went off to meet Hermione outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. On the way they passed Quality Quidditch Supplies where there was a huge crowd looking in the window at a new broom--"Its only just come out."--"Same line as the Firebolt."--"Faster though."  
  
Harry peaked over all their heads and saw a beautifully polished broom with the word 'Lightningbolt' engraved on it in silver lettering. Harry   
only paid it mind for a moment hoping that his luck with brooms would hold out, which would mean he would get one of these as a gift before the year was out. It was as he was turning to leave when he heard a sweet voice coming from near the door to the shop. "Harry, there you are."   
  
Harry turned and smiled. "Hello, Cho."  
  
"Have you seen the new broom?"  
  
"Yeah, looks great. Hoping someone gets me one like what happened with the Firebolt."  
  
"Yeah, some people get all the luck," she said with a grin. "Did you get my Parcel?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How'd you like the gift?"  
  
"I liked it."  
  
"Oh, so you could figure out what it was. What a relief. So what is it?"  
  
"I really don't know. It was nice though. Didn't know you knew my birthday."  
  
"Everyone does."  
  
"Err, right. Must be going. Me and Ron need to meet someone."  
  
"Can I tag along? Seems all my friends aren't coming till the twenty-fourth."   
  
Ron shot Harry a grin.  
  
"S...Sure," Harry stammered out  
  
Hermione was waiting patiently at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor with her head buried in Talents You Never Knew You Had and How to Use Them Now That You've Wised Up. When she didn't look up for five minutes after they arrived, Ron tapped her on the shoulder and cleared his throat. She looked up and said, "Hi, Harry. Hi, Ron....Hello, Cho."  
  
"We ran into Cho outside Quality Quidditch Supplies," Harry supplied.  
  
"You would wouldn't you," Hermione stated.  
  
"Yeah," Cho agreed.  
  
There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence and then Harry spoke up and said, "So Cho, how was your summer?" 


	4. An Awkward Day

Chapter 4: An Awkward Day  
  
The four of them sat around a table silently eating their ice cream. Hermione looked around the table as she spooned her vanilla sundae into her mouth. Ron was busy lapping up his giant cone of almond chocolate. Harry dug his spoon into a banana. Cho cheerfully and neatly ate her blueberry ice cream. "So," she said, taking a break from her cone, "are all of you excited about your fifth year?"  
  
Harry had just shoved a spoonful of ice cream covered in caramel into his mouth, so Hermione answered first. "Not particularly."  
  
Cho looked a bit dejected. "Oh. Well, why's that?"  
  
"Seeing as how You-Know-Who has risen again, I don't see this year as being a very pleasant one," Hermione said, coldly.  
  
"This banana split is making me a bit thirsty," Harry said, getting up. "Does anyone want anything?"  
  
They all shook their heads. "No, I'm fine, thanks," said Cho.  
  
"Hermione, I'm sure you're thirsty, too. Why don't you come with me?"  
  
Hermione looked up at him. Harry gave her a look that said if she didn't get up, he'd drag her. She followed him into the shop. Harry took her to a corner. "What is the matter with you? Why are you being so rude to her?"  
  
"I'm not being rude to anybody!" Hermione exclaimed, defiantly.  
  
Harry kept his own voice down. "Yes, you are. Do you have a problem with her?"  
  
"I just thought that was a stupid question. She of all people shouldn't be looking forward to this year. And what are you doing anyway? Her boyfriend was killed only a couple months ago. Are you crazy?"  
  
"I'm being nice. I think you are the one who is crazy. I know exactly when Cedric died. I would think you would be a little nicer because of it. Do you expect her to just curl up into a ball for the whole year?"  
  
Hermione crossed her arms and looked away. Harry bore his eyes into her head. "I'll try to be nicer," she said to the wall.  
  
They returned outside. "Where's your drink?" Cho asked as Harry sat down.  
  
"Oh. I already drank it. I was really thirsty."  
  
The rest of the day went on without any conflict. Hermione just chose not to say anything. With their arms full of bags and packages, they went into the Leaky Cauldron to exit through its fireplace. "I will see you on September first!" Cho said, and she started walking to the door.  
  
"You didn't come here by floo powder?" Harry asked her. She turned around.  
  
"No. My mother dropped me off here on her way to work. She's a muggle. I'm halfblood."  
  
"Oh, okay then. See you on the Hogwarts Express!"   
  
Cho smiled and left.  
  
"I'll see you two later then," said Hermione. She headed out the door as though she was in a hurry.  
  
"What's with her?" asked Ron. Harry shrugged and grabbed a handful of floo powder. 


End file.
